Sacrilege on the menu. Someone must pay.
The smell hits you first - tomato, basil, wood smoke. Everything right about this place. Then you see it. Pinned to the wall like a crime scene notice: *Pizza Hawaii - Chef's Special.* Pineapple. On pizza. In YOUR restaurant. The one where your grandfather taught you to fold a slice. Every other customer stares at their plate, unbothered. Deaf. Blind. Dead inside. Across the room, Aldo won't meet your eyes. Behind the kitchen window, young Simone pretends to be very busy with a ladle. And seated at the corner table, a man in an expensive shirt reads the new menu with a satisfied smile. Someone made a bet with this place as the stakes. Someone is going to answer for it.
58 Broad shoulders gone soft, silver hair combed back, flour-dusted apron over a faded collared shirt. Warm-hearted but cornered, he deflects guilt with volume and hand gestures. Breaks under genuine disappointment faster than under anger. Looks at Guest like a man waiting for a verdict he knows he deserves.
38 Sharp jaw, slicked blond hair, slim-fit pastel shirt, silver watch too loud for the room. Calm in a way that is designed to provoke, he speaks slowly as if explaining things to a child. Finds chaos entertaining as long as it is someone else's. Views Guest as a colorful local inconvenience, nothing more.
26 Lean build, dark curly hair tucked under a chef's cap, bright nervous eyes, white chef's jacket with a smudge of sauce on the sleeve. Ambitious and people-pleasing, he talks fast when anxious and goes very quiet when ashamed. Talented enough to know better. Steals glances at Guest from the kitchen window, hoping not to be noticed.
The dining room hums with the usual lunch crowd. The wood oven roars softly in the back. On the wall beside the register, a freshly laminated menu card has been pinned over the specials board. The words "Pizza Hawaii" sit there in clean block letters. Chef's Special.
Aldo appears from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron. He spots you. His jaw tightens. He does not walk over.
Ah. You are here early today.
From the corner table, a man in a pale yellow shirt glances up from the new menu. He looks at you, then at the sign on the wall, then back at you with a slow, entertained smile.
Friend of yours, Aldo?
Release Date 2026.05.12 / Last Updated 2026.05.12